The Return
by Exilo
Summary: Discord has returned, stronger and madder than ever before. And he has plan to ruin Celestia, and destroy those she loves most. My idea for the Series Finale. Epic featuring lots of character. T for language. R&R please.


_**The Return**_

Celestia could not recall the last time she had felt so much pain. The force of the blast alone had knocked her through two walls and sent her old and tired body to the ground. The dark magic of the blast burned the fur on her chest and caused still more pain to pile on top of what she already felt. She could not even use magic to ease the ache in her ribs. The most her horn could do was flicker pathetically, although she tried any spell she could think of. But worst of all was who was responsible for this pain. If it had been a changeling or a minotaur that attacked her, she could suppress her pain and focus on hate. But how could she hate her own sister?

"I trusted you!" Luna screamed. She shook and sobbed and stumbled over her hooves as she tried to stay balanced. Celestia attempted a spell, but her horn could only spark before it went dead. She tried to cast a healing spell, or a shield spell. She tried to send a message to the Royal Guards. Nothing worked. "I trusted you... I trusted you..." Luna screamed through choked sobs.

"Luna," Celestia said, as she struggled to get to her hooves. "Luna please... calm down."

"I did bad," the darker princess said, a sob stuck in her voice. "I did something awful and it killed me. All those years alone in the moon, forced to think about my crime. But then you said it would be alright. You said it was all alright. I had paid my debt: banishment was enough and now it would all be fine and we could be happy again and I trusted you!"

"Luna..." Celestia took a step back, though her rump hit the wall. "L-Luna... I can't... I can't use my magic. Something is wrong."

"But it was all a joke," Luna continued. "You and Sparkle and Dash all had a good laugh, didn't you? All of you got to watch me and laugh when I wasn't looking. How stupid could I be, to think you ever loved me? I was just a joke to you, just your court jester. It was all a joke. I was just a joke..." Luna's legs buckled, and she fell once more. She covered her head with her hooves as she sobbed. "All just a joke. All of you, laughing at me. It was a good joke, wasn't it?"

Celestia approached slowly. "Luna?"

The dark pony erupted suddenly and a wave of shadow hit Celestia. The force was enough to send her through the wall she had before dented. By the Sun, it hurt. A desk broke beneath her as she fell to the ground, limp and near dead.

Tears ran down Luna's cheeks as she lowered her head, horn sparking, either intending to decimate her sister with a massive blast or run her through. She lowered her head, but her eyes happened upon something shiny. When the desk had shattered beneath Celestia's girth, the contents flew out in all directions, and a small necklace, composed of black and white rocks, had happened to fall into Luna's path. In an instant, her horn was no longer sparking. Luna's eyes were fixated upon the necklace. Her blue magic embraced it and she lifted it to her vision. The tears slowed and sentience returned to her eyes.

"Dark follows light, and light follows dark," Luna muttered. "Night follows day, and day follows night. I gave this to you... when we were fillies. White for day, black for night. Day follows night, night follows day for all eternity. I would always follow you, and you would always follow me."

Once more, tears streamed down Luna's face. She lowered the trinket from her vision and looked to Celestia, who now stood before her. Celestia held her arm cocked a moment, before she swung forward with a furious haymaker. Her hoof collided with Luna's jaw and knocked the dark pony to the ground. Celestia shook her hoof several times as a pained tingle ran up her arm. Then she checked on her sister to be sure she was alright. She was worried she had hit Luna too hard and broken her nose. She was scared that, when Luna had fallen, she had hit her head. Most of all, Celestia was bitterly terrified of what had brought on the severe mood swing. Luna seemed alright though, and Celestia gave a long sigh. She wrapped her arms around her sister and dipped her head to kiss her cheek. What if Night Mare Moon had returned? What if... what if this time...

"Now now. Is that any way to treat your sister?"

The voice sent a shiver down the white princess' spine, but she gritted her teeth and swallowed her bile. Head lowered, horn out, Celestia struck the ground several times with her hoof and placed herself between Luna and the demon that now stood before her. "Discord! I should have known it was you. This has your stink all over it. What did you do to Luna?"

The draconequus looked to her passively. Perhaps he was annoyed he was not greeted with a kind word, but soon enough a smile had spread across his features. "Do, my dear princess? Why, I am insulted at the accusation. I didn't do anything more than remind Luna of a few facts, point out a few... inconsistencies in your relationship. I didn't implant anything, if that is what you are so rudely implying. Everything was already there; her fears and suspicions buried somewhere deep inside, always nagging at her, tugging at her heart. All I did was shine a bit of light on those fears and poof! I thought it would be cathartic for her. My mistake."

"I am going to kill you for this you bucking-!"

"Oh, come now, that is not the type of language that a princess should use. And besides, how do you intend to do that?" Discord asked. He lifted a hand and revealed a golden ball of fiery light. "I have your magic, princess. I do have to wonder actually, why did you hold back last time? Why did you let that little brat and her herd have all the fun? Why, with all this raw power, you at least could have done something against me, but I suppose you may have leveled Equestria while you were at it. Oooo! What an amusing thought. Why, I could bring down the moon and have it crash down on all these little insects. And then force them to relive the day again and again and again. Oh yes!"

Celestia charged, horn out in front of her, intent to gore the demon. A backhand across the jaw knocked her through the room and she landed hard against the wall. In a moment, she was in the air. Discord's magic created intangible shackles around her ankles and spread her eagle. A muzzle on her mouth prevented her from talking, though she still tried, mumbling and snarling and roaring.

"Don't worry," Discord said. "I'm not going to destroy Equestria. I would love to, believe me, but I am sure that something would happen to monkey wrench my plans, right in the third act. You see, Celestia, I had a lot of time to think during my latest imprisonment, and I realized something. I had an epiphany. Well, I had a couple actually. The first is: I can't win. Reality doesn't like me and reality will always send some little do-gooder who insists on fighting me. And even if I slaughter them all, eventually one will get a lucky shot in. So, what am I to do? I could just bring on the chaos all at once, binge until my next imprisonment, but that always ends somewhat anticlimactically. There are only so many pleas for mercy you can take before it's all just white noise. I wanted to do something special. And then, I had the other epiphany I was talking about."

Celestia turned her head to the side when Discord suddenly appeared before her, very close. His grin was wide and his yellow eyes were bulging out of the sockets. "I realized I hate you. I hate everything about you. And not like I hate that little purple filly you've taken a shine to, no, my hate for you is something much deeper. And do you know why, Celestia? Because you are pathetic. You have all this raw power coursing through you and what do you do with it? Magic tricks. Move the sun through the sky. Send little brats on quests and watch from afar. You have all this power and you can't even think of anything fun! Why, we should rule Equestria together, but you would rather sit on your throne and eat cake! I don't want to kill you, Celestia. That would be too easy. I want to ruin you. I want you to walk down the street and mares to hide their fillies, stallions to spit at you and foals to cast stones. I want you ruined. I want every single creature from coast to coast to see you exactly as I do: the little troll who should have been smothered in her crib."

Discord sighed and tilted his head back. "So, then I was left with the question, what to do? Of course, I knew I had to incapacitate you, but that is no trouble. I know your tricks and your weaknesses. Turn your sister against you, easy as cake. Like I said, I didn't even have to implant anything; just remind her of a few of her fears. I imagine once her head is clear she'll be back to licking your hooves like a pet dog. But how to turn your loyal citizens against you, that was the million bit question. And how to make sure that all those do-gooders don't catch on that something is wrong until I have had my fun. So, then it occurred to me, I needed help. I searched Equestria for someone who might offer their aid and I managed to find someone who hated you as much as I do. You can come in now, Queen Cheeselegs."

Celestia managed to tilt her head to the door to her room, which swung open with dramatic flair, billowing smoke, and confetti. Queen Chrysalis trotted forward, head held low and eyes only half lidded. She hadn't spent more than a moment in the room when Discord was upon her, an arm wrapped around her neck as if they were old friends. Her jaw clenched at the touch of the draconequus, but she said not a word and continued to trot to Celestia.

Celestia watched close, as Queen Chrysalis' skin turned a creamy white and her eyes turned magenta red. Her mane changed to something long and flowing and an adorable crown appeared on her head.

"Like it?" Discord asked. He had reduced his size and now happily straddled Chrysalis' back, her mane tight in his claws. "Ooo, I hope you enjoy it. You see, my dear princess, after you were so mean to old Queen Cheeselegs, she and her minions were left weak and starving. I, the noble King Discord, was kind enough to take them under my wing. Isn't that right, queenie? I keep their little bellies full with a Love Magic substitute and she does exactly what I say. And if she disobeys me, everyone dies."

Queen Chrysalis looked away as Discord stared. Discord shrugged and looked to Celestia. His smile spread ear to ear. "One final thing, to keep you out of the way. Shrink Celestia."

Celestia's eyes widened suddenly. The shackles disappeared with a sound like shattering glass and she felt herself spin and twist dumbly. She landed hard on the ground with a loud plop and a sore rump, and looked up to stare at Discord and the imposter princess. "Find a bird cage to keep her in or something. I want her out of the way, but unharmed. I want her alive when this is over, to live with all the shame that she failed her subjects so royally."

The queen glared at Discord. The very moment he turned his back, she lifted her hoof into the air and brought it down with all her weight and strength. Celestia's eyes widened, as the speed of the hoof increased. It slammed upon the ground suddenly, actually causing the tile of stone to shatter. Cracks ran out in all direction in a spider web of damage.

Discord grasped Chrysalis by the horn and yanked sharply, before throwing her into a wall. Discord glared at the floor, with the ugly cracks through it, and then to Chrysalis. "I said not to kill her!" he screamed.

Chrysalis stood slowly. She dropped her glamour spell and assumed her true appearance. "You are a fool to let her live, Discord. I have no choice but to provide my aid for the sake of my children, but do not think for a moment I will allow your idiocy to threaten my goals."

Chrysalis gasped as Discord's claw took her around the throat. Without effort, he lifted her off the ground, her hooves left to swing helplessly. Her sparked as she attempted a spell, but Discord merely shook his claw to rattle her brain until she was still and limp. He stretched his head forward on his long neck, his eyes focused and fixated on the queen, who beat feebly at his claw. His grip grew tighter and she gasped. The sharpened nails bore small holes in her skin and blood trickled onto her slick throat. "Speak to me like that again and I will devour all of your precious children with a glass of fine wine. Do you understand me?"

He did not bother with an answer. He dropped her, as she was no longer important. Discord looked to his fingers, dipped with Chrysalis' blood, and then looked to the dent in the floor, where Chrysalis' hoof had come crashing down. With a clean finger, he stroked the dent and brought it to his eye. "No blood," he mused, and then slithered to Luna, for the first time noticing she was awake. "You teleported her somewhere. Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Luna asked.

"Tell me where Celestia is or I'll-"

"You'll what? Ramble out a couple more clichés? Turn the world into an abstract painting of your lack of creativity? Kill me? I am hoping for the last one, since the oblivion of death would be preferable to listening to the storm of bad puns that dribble out of your lips."

Discord's eyes narrowed, as he took Luna by the horn and gave her a stiff yank, dragging her over the floor. "Change to Celestia," he barked to Chrysalis. "Declare a royal decree. It is now illegal to walk on the ground. Any pony caught walking on the ground will have their hooves chopped off at the knee." Discord lifted Luna up to his eye level. "And you... I don't even have to turn the citizens against you, they already hate you! Look at you, nothing but a bitter princess, who rules the time of the day no one cares about, because it's not the day! A bitter little filly who can't do anything right, who deserves to live in the shadows and never see the sun. No one missed you, Luna, not in all the thousand years you were banished to the moon. They remembered me though. They've never forgotten me. So I'll just have to come up with some other way to torture you." He grinned, showing his serpentine tongue as it flickered out. "Oh the fun we shall have..."

Luna glared at him, but smiled. "You'll never find my sister, Discord. You can look under every rock, behind every waterfall, turn the entire world inside out, but you will never find her. My magic will always keep her just one step out of your grasp. And in a thousand years, she'll return, stronger and brighter than you can fathom."

XXX

Celestia had been acting odd the past week and Twilight Sparkle was worried. Strange decrees were issued, martial law was invoked. Strangest of all, Celestia refused to set the sun, and the golden ball had been left to burn in the sky for days on end. Twilight had sent a number of letters to the princess, hoping to arrange a meeting. At last, a response came in the form of a pair of Royal Guards, who practically ransacked the library, looking for "magical contraband." When they were done, they gave Twilight Sparkle a letter from the princess with a date and time.

Despite the gravity of the situation, there was a spring in every one of Twilight Sparkle's steps, as she trotted along the polished white floor and through the castle. She was simply ecstatic to see the princess at all, even if she had been acting strangely. Twilight Sparkle could barely contain her excitement, and several times her magic got the better of her. With a splash of magenta, she teleported just a few steps ahead forward, but always trotted at the same pace.

She was just approaching the throne room when the doors swung open and she had to leap back. Fluttershy, galloping out of the throne room at full speed, crashed into Twilight Sparkle. The pegasus was sobbing and crying, and finding a warm body, buried her face into Twilight's purple chest. Instinctively, Twilight Sparkle stroked down her back, trying to calm her. "Fluttershy, what happened?"

Fluttershy's wing flapped and she took to the air. Without a word, she flew off as fast as she could (which was surprisingly fast given her fear of speed and heights.)

Inside the throne room, flanked by a pair of Royal Guards, sat Princess Celestia, head bowed, wings stretched out at her sides. Twilight Sparkle immediately fell to one knee in a show of respect. "You wanted to see me, Princess Celestia?" she asked. "Did something happen with Fluttershy?"

"Did you bring the Elements of Harmony, as I requested?" Celestia asked.

"Yes," Twilight said quickly and used her magic to open the satchel that she wore around her middle. It was Celestia's magic that took the Elements of Harmony out of the bag, however. She brought them before her snout and examined them a moment, before she offered them to the guard on her right, who carried them away. "Is something wrong with them?"

"No, Sparkle. Something is wrong with you."

Twilight Sparkle took a step back. "Forgive me, my princess, I don't understand."

"You're pathetic," Celestia said simply, as if that would answer all her questions. "I have been watching you, curious if you were ready for the next step in your lessons. I am not pleased with what I have seen. Transmutation spells baffle you, as do Age spells, and your Levitation is not at a level I am pleased with. And there are a thousand other things wrong with you, but I have business to attend to so I cannot be here all day."

Twilight Sparkle swallowed nervously. She took an instinctive step back. "I... I... I am studying as hard as I-"

"Here," the princess said, as she picked up an apple from beside her throne. "Turn this into an orange." She threw it forward with all her might, as Twilight Sparkle's horn sparked, and she attempted to remember the spell. The apple suddenly collided with her horn, sending a painful spasm through her body and she took several steps away. "Oh, what? Now you're going to cry?" Celestia asked.

"I... I'm... Princess Celestia... I..."

"I, I, I. That is the problem, right there. All you ever think about is yourself. I did not take you as an apprentice so that you could better yourself; I took you so you can protect Equestria. But you cannot, can you?"

"I'm studying as hard as I can! I've... I can work harder though! I can work much harder."

"Why weren't you working as hard as you possibly can to begin with?" Celestia asked. She lifted from her throne and trotted forward, now standing before Twilight Sparkle, who kept backing away. "Are you saying you are lazy? You were not dedicating yourself fully to your studies? Is that it? Or, like I said, you are only in this for yourself. Are you only concerned with yourself?"

"No!" Twilight Sparkle screamed. She blinked tears and took another step back, but found her rump pressed against the doors to the throne room. "I can do it. I can..."

Celestia's horn sparked and a moment later, an apple had formed out of thin air. The apple was abruptly rocketed to Twilight Sparkle and hit her squarely in the horn. Stiff whimpers and cries escaped her throat. It felt like her horn would snap in two from the force. "Change it," the princess screamed, as a dozen apples spawned and were rocketed at Twilight Sparkle in a flurry. Each smacked into her horn, until she was forced to dip her head and hide her crown with a hooves.

"You are pathetic! Do something!"

"I-" Another apple hit Twilight Sparkle in the knee, and she tumbled to the ground, afraid to move.

"You can't do anything. You have shown that time and time again. You are simply not the student that I thought you were. I do not ever want to see you again, Sparkle. Return to Ponyville. Oh, and while you are there, tell the orchard pony I want to see her. It seems she has been spreading lies."

Twilight Sparkle swallowed and lifted her head high. She turned and opened the heavy doors with her magic, before she trotted out into the hallway. She waited until the doors were closed and only then allowed her tears to stream down her face. She cast a teleportation spell that would take her someplace, anyplace, other than this.

Queen Chrysalis locked the door to the throne room and allowed her glamour spell to fade. The Royal Guard who remained allowed his glamour spell to fade as well. He came to stand before his queen and gently rubbed his head against her long leg in a sign of affection. She smiled down at him and dipped her head to kiss his crown.

Chrysalis sensed Discord's presence, but did not acknowledge him until he cleared his throat impatiently, in which time she lifted her head. "Isn't there an orphanage you can go set fire to or something?" she asked.

"Have your scouts found Celestia?"

"No. As you requested, I sent several of my children to the library where Sparkle resides. They looked under every table, on every shelf, inside every book. They found nothing. Honestly, do you think Luna is stupid enough to send Celestia to the first place you would think to look?"

Discord was suddenly before Chrysalis. "You're lying," he hissed. "You know something you're not telling me."

Chrysalis swallowed, but refused to blink. "I may hate you with all my heart, Discord, but I hate Celestia more. There is nothing I would like more than to place her in your claws and allow you to have your way with her."

Discord's lion's paw was suddenly upon Chrysalis' throat, and he pressed her against the back of the throne. For a horrid moment, Chrysalis feared he would break her with a twist of the wrist. Her changeling feared this as well, because he jammed his spear beneath Discord's armpit in a vain attempt to harm the demon. Discord released Chrysalis and lifted his lion paw above his head. It inflated to twice its size before he swung it down, bringing the weight and force down upon the changeling. Chrysalis had to close her eyes as she heard her child scream, and then an eerie silence fell over the throne room.

"Disgusting insects," Discord hissed, as he shook his paw several times to get the red goo off it.

Chrysalis walked forward and fell to her knees before the red splotch, what was left of the guard. She stared at it, as if unable to comprehend what had happened to one of her children. Discord snapped his fingers and she backed away as black fire erupted on the ground. The odor of burning blood and flesh made her sick and want to cry.

"Get into character," Discord barked. "The honest one will be here soon and I want her emotionally broken before lunch. If you need me, I'll be in the dungeon with the princess of the night."

XXX

Twilight Sparkle's night was sleepless and filled with tears. She refused offers of help or kindness and refused to eat (the sight of an apple only made her cry harder, much to Spike's confusion.) Eventually, desperate for a moment without heartache, she cast a sleep spell upon herself. Still, her rest was fitful and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Minutes later, she woke screaming. Spike was pounding on the door, pleading and begging for her to let him in. She opened the door and knocked him down as she rushed to the main library. "Spike," she said. "I need a book called, The Origin of the Sun. Where is it?"

"Twilight, this isn't the time to study history."

"Please Spike, just trust me."

Spike sighed. "Top shelf, tenth from the left." With delicacy, the unicorn embraced the book with her magic and very slowly took it down. Beads of sweat rolled down her brow, as she carefully moved the book to the table. She took such care; one would think the book was made of crystals and glass. Twilight Sparkle trotted to the table the book was resting on and with a shaking hoof, gripped the cover. She took a deep breath, before opening it, and looked down. The book had been hollowed out. And inside the book, was a small, shrunken white pony, who both Twilight Sparkle and Spike immediately recognized as Princess Celestia.

"Spike," Twilight Sparkle ordered. "Get me two bowls of water: one ice cold and one warm. Get me a washcloth, a small towel, a blanket, a plate of hay and nuts, and a roll of bandages. Then I need you to gather my friends up and tell them to meet up at Sweet Apple Acres, ASAP. Nothing is more important than them getting there as soon as possible."

"Wha-"

"Spike," Twilight snapped. She sighed and nuzzled the young dragon's cheek. "Spike, please. I need you, now more than ever. Please." She leaned forward and softly kissed his forehead.

Spike nodded curtly, and with speed that bellied his stubby legs, he gathered all that Twilight had requested. Then he was out the door, off to his first stop: the Carousal Boutique.

Twilight Sparkle dunked the washcloth in the bowl of warm water and with delicate hooves lifted Celestia out of the book. Celestia's body was limp, but Twilight Sparkle could feel the delicate inflation of her chest and the subtle beat of her heart. Twilight Sparkle held the washcloth with her magic and took the time to gently brush Celestia's fur. She dried her princess with the towel and then set her on the table. With her magic, she tore a piece of blanket off the main body and lifted Celestia into the air. Carefully, she wrapped the white princess in the warm embrace of the fabric and then set her down carefully on the table, beside the plate of hay and nuts. And then Twilight Sparkle sat, and waited.

Celestia stirred weakly, and lifted her head. She opened her mouth to talk, but only a weak gasp could escape her parched throat. "Just a moment," Twilight said and used her magic to pick up a few drops of chilled water from the bowl. She brought these drops to Celestia's lips, and Celestia slurped it up. She scooted out of the blanket's embrace and walked to the plate of hay. Picking up one of the now giant nuts, she nibbled gently on it, the first food she had had in what felt like weeks.

"Where am I?" she asked Twilight Sparkle. "What has happened?"

"I... don't really know. You called me to your throne room a few days ago. And... you said that I failed... that I was no longer your student. And... I... you said..." Twilight Sparkle sniffled and looked away.

"That was not me."

"I know," Twilight Sparkle said. "Princess Luna came to me in a dream. She explained that Discord had returned and that you were in that book."

Celestia gritted her teeth. "By the Sun, Luna... What is that monster doing to you?"

"Princess Celestia," Twilight Sparkle said. "You... or Chrysalis rather, has been doing things. There is a curfew now. Ponies are only allowed out of their house for a few hours a day. You...uhm... Chrysalis, has refused to set the sun, as well. Our crops are being scorched. Sweet Apple Acres alone... Applejack's trees might never recover from this. The court has begun taxing water, despite the awful heat. There are guards that no one recognizes standing over all the rivers. And, there have been disappearances."

"Why hasn't anyone tried to stop Chrysalis?" Celestia asked.

Twilight sighed and looked away. "Princess Celestia... it's you... You're our light. You're our sun. You've always lead us, always protected us. We don't know how to question you."

"It's Discord," Celestia spat. "Imprisonment has made him savvy and subtle. He's causing just as much destruction as before, perhaps even more. And by the Sun, he has my magic... And look at me! I'm the size of a doll! Twilight Sparkle, where are the Elements of Harmony? We need to banish the demon before he does anything more."

The purple pony recoiled. "I... I... you... I was summoned to the court and asked to bring the Elements of Harmony with me. I gave them... I thought it was you! I'm so sorry. By the Sun, I'm so sorry. Please... I... I didn't..."

"Twilight Sparkle," the princess said softly, although loud enough to silence the purple pony's ramble. "It is not your fault, in any way. Do not blame yourself. The Elements cannot be destroyed, they can simply be hidden, which means all you and your friends need do is find them. But first, I would like my magic and size returned to me."

Twilight nodded quickly. "What do we do?"

Celestia looked to the many books that lined the library's shelf. "Long ago, I gave you an aged book. I told you never to open it, but always keep it safe. Where is it?"

Twilight Sparkle turned and trotted up the stairwell, to the second floor of the library where she slept. After a few minutes, Twilight Sparkle returned, carrying a boring looking book in her mouth. What was remarkable about the book was that nothing about it was remarkable. The cover was black and without a title or image. The pages were dull and ugly. Twilight Sparkle set the book down on the table where Celestia stood and looked to the shrunken princess, unsure of what to do next.

"Thirty-four pages in, there should be Spell 19."

The purple pony nodded and used her magic to flip through the pages. She skimmed the spell she had been told about, but then looked to Celestia, puzzled. "This is just a spell to break jars."

Celestia smiled. "You haven't been studying your ancient languages, have you? It's a spell to break containers. My magic is being held inside a container, one created of Discord's chaos magic, but a container nonetheless. With time, my magic will recharge, but it may take months, if not years to reach a level of strength I was before. When my magic is freed, it will naturally return to me. I need you to cast this spell, Twilight Sparkle."

"But... what if something happens? I... I have let my study of ancient languages lapse. What if-"

"You are Equestria's only hope. You are my only hope. But most importantly, I believe in you. Never has a challenge been presented to you that you could not overcome."

Twilight Sparkle smiled slightly. "No pressure, huh?" She looked over the spell once more and then to Celestia, who only gave her a gentle nod. Twilight Sparkle swallowed. She braced her hooves and closed her eyes, and after a moment her horn sparked, before ceasing. She closed her eyes and focused again, and this time a large, magenta bubble appeared at the tip of her horn. Celestia took a step back. The bubble swelled quickly and cackled with purple lightning. Just past the transparent sheen of the bubble's coating, a thousand tiny bubbles could be seen bouncing around angrily inside. Twilight's left foreleg bent and her eyes fluttered opened. The bubble whined and began to compress, before she screwed her eyes shut to concentrate.

"Breathe, Twili," Celestia said. "This should be nothing for a sorceress of your caliber. Show that bubble whose boss."

Swells of magic traveled from her horn to the bubble, causing it to grow just a bit larger, and larger, and larger.

And then the bubble popped. The force was enough to knock Twilight Sparkle onto her rump and Celestia was sent skidding off the table. At the last moment, she managed to catch hold of the table's rim and hold tight, not sure if a fall from this height would prove fatal. The thousands of tiny bubbles that were housed inside the larger one spread out suddenly. They punched adorable holes in the library's walls and spread out through the day. Off in the distant, screams and the sound of shattering glass could be heard.

Twilight Sparkle placed her horn beneath Celestia and lifted her head slowly, so the princess could rest on her crown. "Did it work?" she asked. She felt the miniscule weight lift off her crown and watched as Celestia fluttered to the table and stood. She nodded happily.

Celestia's horn sparked with golden magic, as she attempted to reverse the shrink spell that afflicted her, but the horn sparked like a dying light bulb. She tried again, and again barely anything happened.

"It's alright," she said quickly. "My magic is weak from being separated from me for so long. With time, it will replenish, but there is no time to wait. Twilight... uhm... there is one other option. It is not a spell that I cast without reservations, but I do not believe we have any other choice. We need to reach Sweet Apple Acres... And, I do not know how strong my wings are, so may I-"

Twilight Sparkle giggled cutely and very gently embraced Celestia with her magenta magic. She placed the white princess down on her back and told her to hold on tight, before she galloped out of the library. After a few minutes, she returned. Gathering the black book in her mouth, she once more galloped out.

XXX

"Words cannot describe how sorry I am, to each of you." Celestia sighed. "It was not my hoof that hurt you directly, but it is my responsibility, as your princess, to prevent such harm from befalling you. I have failed in that duty, and I am sorry."

Applejack was the first one to speak. "We all have our missteps, your majesty. And the sooner we get that imposter taken care of, the sooner we can start makin' things right. What do ya need us to do?"

"Page two hundred and thirty-eight of the book, Twilight. Spell 151."

Twilight Sparkle skimmed the book, until she found the page. She looked confused a moment, and then looked to Celestia, who nodded.

"There is magic, in each of you," the white princess said. "For Twilight Sparkle, or Rarity, that magic manifests itself much more apparently. Even you, Rainbow Dash, and you, Fluttershy, are blessed with magic that allows flight. But there is magic in each of you, even if it is not so apparent. There is the magic of our friendship and the magic of our love. It is what gives strength to our souls. But now, I must ask you to give that magic to me, lend me your strength."

"You can't do this," Twilight said. "My arcane languages might be a bit rusty, but I know how to translate the word 'death.' "

Celestia lowered her head. "There is no risk for you six. The worst that will happen is you can't fly for a day or two, or you can't cast a levitation spell. The magic inside you is constantly flowing and refilling. The danger of the spell is for the one who accepts the magic into their body. They run the risk of...overloading and... well, you can imagine, I'm sure, what would happen."

"You can't do this," Fluttershy whimpered.

"We don't have a choice. It will be days, even weeks, before my magic has returned to me fully. Discord knows that he has lost control of my magic, and I fear what he will do in retaliation. I am afraid as well, but I need to do this. It is my duty to Equestria."

Silence. There was a long pause as each of the six bowed their heads, unable to look to the white princess in the eye.

"What do we do?" Twilight Sparkle finally asked.

Celestia managed to flap her wings and place herself before the book. "Focus on me," she said. "Will your strength to me. Feel the magic inside you and release it. I will recite the necessary incantation."

It was easier for Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, the unicorns, of course. Magenta wisps lifted from the purple pony, and blue from the fashionable one. Rainbow colored magic soon lifted from Rainbow Dash, who spread her wings and let out several pleasured giggles and whines. There was an odd tickle all around her. A pinkish glow emerged from Fluttershy, who let certain giggles escape her as well. Orange rose from Applejack, and pink from Pinkie Pie. The various wisps all wandered through the air, eventually attracted by a subtle, golden glow on the tip of Celestia's horn. Her eyes glowed with the same gold and then her body.

The six ponies collapsed suddenly. Each felt as if they had just galloped for three days straight. Quickly, Celestia focused all her energy on a growth spell, eager to remove the limitation of being so small.

The table she stood on broke as her girth increased slowly. The six ponies all watched with relief as she returned to her normal, majestic size, but then stared with confusion as her growth did not stop. Celestia showed no sign of concern, however, and was very careful with where she placed her expanding hooves, sure not to step on any of the six.

The barn whined and yielded suddenly, and with a burst of golden magic, it exploded into a thousand pieces. Celestia stretched herself fully, now the size of her castle, and took several slow, careful steps back before she lowered her head. The six ponies all stared up at her with awe and fear, but she gave them a smile as warm as the sun. Sure to speak softer for their (comparatively) tiny ears, she said, "A precaution. This will lessen the likelihood of my body overloading from the magic." She leaned down, and with her massive snout, very gently nuzzled Twilight Sparkle. "I thank each of you for entrusting me. I am sorry to place more of a burden upon your weary backs, but I need you six to infiltrate my castle. My sister is alive, I am sure of it. She is held in some dark dungeon. I need her... I need you to find her, please. And Twilight Sparkle, I need you to find the Elements of Harmony. If I cannot defeat Discord on my own, they may be our last hope."

Celestia sighed, but once more managed to smile. "Let me tell you six, you are the greatest students I could have hoped for. And today, I need you six to step up, in the way I know you can. All of Equestria will look to you soon, and a great burden will be placed upon your backs. You may not believe you can carry such a weight, but never forget the faith I have in each of you. And please, always remember, I love you all so much."

Celestia turned in a stiff circle, careful not to step on anyone or knock over any trees. She braced her rear legs and then flapped her mighty wings to take to the air. A great gust of wind blew over the country side. The six ponies struggled to remain standing under the gust, and when they were able to look up again, Celestia was in the sky. She set off for Canterlot, her great wingspan blocking out the sun that had been shining for so long.

The damage done to Equestria was far greater than Twilight had realized. The sun was angry, up above, and had turned a shade of crimson that was so unnatural. If Celestia could spare the magic, she would set it and give it a chance to rest. But to survive Discord, let alone defeat him, she would require every ounce of strength she possessed. The forests were eerily quiet and she hoped that the animals, sensing something was wrong, had fled. Or perhaps they had all fallen victim to Discord's madness. Either way, she could not hear them as she flew over forests. It frightened her in a way she could not describe. She was accustomed to a constant buzz of tiny voices, she even enjoyed it. And now, to hear such emptiness... Discord had created chaos, just nothing overt. But he had turned Equestria, her home, into something so unnatural.

The worse was Canterlot itself. The streets and sounds and thoughts were so terribly quite, it made Celestia shiver. She flapped her wings and landed in the spacious city square which she could just fit in. She looked around. Banners had been erected: black with yellow trim, and a golden silhouette of Celestia's head emblazed upon them. Beneath each banner, the words "Big Sister is Always Watching" were scrawled with magical gold. Tacky and pompous propaganda... Discord had done everything he could to make her image into something to fear, and perhaps he had succeeded. She could hear so many thoughts, but now she wished she couldn't. She could sense all the rage that dwelled in the hearts of her friends and family.

Her arrival had been noisy. Tiny pony heads peeked out of windows and viewed the grand, titanic body of their princess. Many screams were heard. The citizens believed their princess had fully embraced her monstrous side, and now prepared to destroy them all. Celestia sighed, and began to trot towards the castle. Although she was careful not to cause any harm, she did stomp her hooves just a little loud in order to wake any of the still sleeping citizens up.

"Citizens of Equestria," she said as she trotted. Her voice echoed and boomed and made the very ground shake even more than her steps. "I have failed you. I allowed Discord to return and his horrors to reign upon you. He had the goal of causing dissent and hatred in your hearts and perhaps he has succeeded. I can hear, as I walk, you curse beneath your breath at the very sight of me. And I cannot blame you. For even though it was an imposter's hoof, to guard you is my duty. But today I shall fight for you, as is my duty, because regardless of your feelings for me, I love each and every one of you. If today I shall die, I can only promise to take that monster down with me. And though I have no right to seek your aid, I ask you now; please grant me your love and friendship."

Now before the castle, Celestia spread her legs and stomped the ground with her mighty hoof. The doors opened slowly, and with casual swagger, the draconequus strolled out, hands behind his back. He looked up casually at Celestia, and even had the audacity to wave as if greeting an old friend. Celestia lifted her hoof above her head and brought it down. There was a splat and the sound of bones crushed. She dragged her hoof back, a smear of red now staining the castle steps

"I know that didn't kill you, Discord," she said. "Honestly, that was just to make me feel a bit better. Now, show yourself and I will kill you proper."

Celestia's horn sparked as she looked about, afraid of being taken off guard. Behind her, the street slowly filled with miniscule ponies. Having spent days inside their homes, frightened and scared of the mood swings their ruler seemed racked with, they now watched in awe and horror at the great white body of their princess, her hooves alone as large as some of their houses. They were frightened of course, unsure what mood may take her now that she could easily crush hundreds with a single misstep, but there was something about her that drew them out of their homes.

A blast of magic impacted Celestia in the back of her head, and she tumbled forward, but managed to catch herself before she crashed into the castle. She flapped her wings and spun in the air before she landed, careful where she placed her hooves and certain not to harm any of her subjects. There stood Discord, now her rival in size, and on the other side of city. The ponies at her hooves compressed tighter, as those who stood before Discord attempted to back away.

"Oh, what now?" he asked.

Celestia lowered her head and spread her hooves. Her horn sparked several times with golden magic. Discord stared, bored, arms crossed over his chest. He his massive hoof tapped the ground.

A golden beam of light lanced out of Celestia's horn and rippled through the air. Perhaps Discord realized how much energy she had released, because he lifted his hands a moment before the beam made contact. He caught the lance of yellow at arm's length. His claw and hoof dug into the ground as he was pushed back several meters, but shifting his weight, he threw the beam off and into the sky.

Celestia's left foreleg buckled and she almost fell, but managed to catch herself. She quickly looked down to assure that none of the ponies had been crushed beneath her, before she got back to her hooves.

"You are strong, Celestia," Discord said through his teeth. He looked down at his hands and at the light burns over the fur and skin respectively. "If you stood alone, you would be unstoppable. But you, Chrysalis, you have weaknesses that I do not share."

Discord grinned wide and he looked down at the thousands of ponies who were all standing in the street, filling the space between him and the princess.

"You cannot defeat me, Celestia. You know it, I know it, and the citizens of Equestria know it, because you are never willing to do what is needed. Face it, you could have killed me millennia ago if you and your sister and all the other unicorns really set their mind to it, but you just don't have the will.

"And why? Do you think the world would weep if these little twits got caught in the crossfire? Would all of Equestria mourn their passing? Or would there be a thousand others to take their place. These ponies should be our playthings and yet you insist on watching over them like a filly who watches an ant farm." Discord's smile returned and he bent at a painful angle on his torso, his sharp teeth looming over the thousands of little faces. They compressed tighter and tighter, many soon taking shelter beneath their now giant princess. They hid behind her hooves. They prayed to her and begged her for protection. But there were stragglers of course, and Discord casually followed them, until he could lift his foot and very gently place it upon an elderly stallion's back. "I'll tell you what, Celestia. Let me crush this one like a bug, and if the heavens weep, I will willingly return to my imprisonment forever. Deal?"

Discord lifted his foot high into the air and then brought it down, but a golden beam of light lanced out Celestia's horn. Discord screamed suddenly, knocked back several meters, and looked down to the ugly hole that had been bore through his chest.

"You little troll! That actually hurt!"

Celestia spread her hooves and released another beam of golden light. As before, Discord caught this one, but found he could not simply throw it aside. There was pain in his stomach that distracted him and the energy that touched him burned like the sun's embrace.

"Citizens of Equestria," Celestia shouted. Her great voice boomed through every corner of the land. Her eyes were screwed shut and her legs shook. Her hooves dug into the ground, boring large, horseshoe shaped craters. The strength of her magic waned suddenly, but with a shout, the lance of golden energy resumed.

"You won't win Celestia!" Discord screamed, as he took a step forward. "Do you hear me you awful troll? They don't care about you!"

"Citizens of Equestria," Celestia said again. "I failed you in my duty and allowed Discord to return. His horrors befell you and he brewed hatred in your hearts. I will give my life for you on this day, but I fear the strength of my soul is not enough." Her leg buckled and her magic stopped. Discord threw the magic aside and took a moment to catch his breath. In his lion paw, a ball of black fire formed. He threw the fireball, not at Celestia, but at those ponies collected at her hooves. Celestia spread her wings and lowered to her knees, shielding the ponies from the dark flame. Tears streamed down her face as the fire burned her, but before Discord could form another ball of black, a lance of gold had rocketed out of her horn. Another ugly hole was torn through his thin chest.

"Citizen of Equestria, please," Celestia said. "Please lend me your strength. Lend me the magic of your love and of your friendship. Lend me the magic of your hope. Will it to me. Pony and changeling, dragon and manticore, mare and monster, please. I call upon you each now. Please, help me to banish this abomination once and for all..."

Discord took a step forward. Arms out in front of him, he kept the golden, cackling ball of magic gripped tightly in his claws. He took a step forward, and another, slowly approaching the princess. Laughter, cruel and black, rolled off his tongue. His grin was wide as he took another step, but suddenly felt himself move back several meters. He looked down to all the ponies standing around the white princess, and how little sparks of magic were lifting out of their bodies. He gritted his teeth, pressing on, but again found he could only move back.

"You won't win!" he screamed. "She's tricking you ponies. Just as she did before. This will extinguish your life. She's going to devour your soul. It's a trick. Stop helping her! Stop it!"

Glistening sparkles of a thousand colors filled the sky, descending upon the white princess, who was soon able to stand on her four hooves. She focused all her energy, all of her soul, against the draconequus. "You won't win Celestia," he shouted. "You can't kill me! I'll be back, I'll be back! Do you hear me?! I'll be back and I will kill every single-"

The beam of golden light stopped suddenly. The energy burned to wisps and Discord fell to his knees. The skin of his hands was charred and bloodied and melted. He looked up to see the tip of Celestia's horn glowing brilliantly with white light, the intensity almost blinding.

"I will return," he snarled. "Do you hear me? I'll return."

"No Discord," came Celestia's voice. "This time, you shall never return."

She lowered her head and aimed her horn, before releasing a blast of purest white. If Discord screamed, it was not heard as the light engulfed him and swallowed him up. And just as quickly, the white light had disappeared, leaving not a trace of draconequus behind.

Celestia's skin turned to golden fire as she fell forward, her legs buckling beneath her weight. The fire burned quickly, melting away her body, and soon only a normal sized pony was plummeting through the sky. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash swooped forth. Each took one of her forelegs and they flapped their wings furiously to keep her in the air, but soon they were failing as well. More pegasi joined, the strength of the collective greater than the strength of a few. And then the glow of a thousand unicorn horns embraced them, slowing their descent until all were safely on the ground.

Celestia looked different. She was smaller and slighter, as if she was no longer fully grown. Her hair, which had been a flowing rainbow, had taken a pink hue and a mundane look. Attempting to stand, the crowd saw she was closer in size to a filly than a stunning mare. Celestia wobbled, ready to fall, until a particularly burly Royal Guard lifted her up and placed her onto his back.

"Thank you," Celestia mumbled. "Thank you all. Thank you all so much..."

"Take her to her personal quarters," Twilight Sparkle ordered. "I will be in shortly."

XXX

Celestia was exhausted when she woke. There was not a single part of her that did not hurt and when she tried to roll out of bed and onto her hooves, her legs buckled and she fell on the floor.

She felt magic embrace her and was vaguely aware she was being lifted. She was placed back onto the bed very gently, and a blanket was tugged so it rested under her chin. "You need your rest," came a soft voice, the voice that belonged to Luna.

Celestia forced herself to sit up and look to her sister, who came trotting forward slowly. Her middle was taped with white bandages that starkly contrasted her midnight fur, and she was hiding half her face with her flowing mane. Her right wing was worn with a splint, and she was limping. "Luna..." Celestia asked. "What..."

"Discord wanted... wanted to know where you were. Where I had sent you." She giggled nervously. "Never thought to look right under his nose, but I suppose being the Spirit of Chaos does not grant you a cohesive thought pattern. I did not even know if... I... I've never been too good at teleportation spells, you know... But I had to do something. It was all I could think of..."

"Luna..." Celestia stood slowly, weakly. "Thank you..."

Luna smiled.

Celestia walked to the mirror and looked at herself. Her mane still had the pink coloration instead of the flowing rainbow, and of course, she had the body of a filly. In fact, Luna could be called her "big" sister.

"I've been raising the sun and summoning the moon," Luna said. "A... A great party was held on that first night. It filled my heart with a sense of joy like I have never known."

Celestia giggled. "I think we should make a holiday out of it." Soon, however, her expression turned solemn. "That took everything I had and then some. It might be weeks before I can move the sun again. Will you be able to handle the celestial rotation for a while longer? I... I know it is such a burden to place on you, I just-"

"You did it for a millennium. I think I can do it for a couple weeks."

"Is every citizen alright? Has there been any sign of Discord?" Celestia asked.

"No... I thought he was destroyed?"

"I am not certain. Discord is not even a god, he is an element of reality itself, even though his purpose is to destroy reality. I am not sure something like him can be destroyed. Even if I have, surely another will someday take his place. But that will not be for many years I hope. The changelings? Any news of them?"

"No. Chrysalis and her minions escaped during the confusion. I have not ordered any search parties. I felt that, with all that had happened, it would be better to reinforce our borders, first and foremost."

"You chose right. And... when I was fighting Discord, and begged for the strength of all, I could feel Chrysalis lending her strength to me. She is a ruler who protects those she loves, just as I am. If she did not keep trying to kill me, I think we could be friends." Celestia used her magic to lift a brush and gently stroked her mane. That miniscule exertion left her utterly fatigued and she soon she was forced to sit. She gave cute, weak pants, until she once more felt blue magic take hold of her, and lift her up.

"You need your rest, dear sister."

Celestia was placed in the bed and Luna took the time to tuck her in under the covers. Celestia closed her eyes, head resting on the pillow, but soon lifted her head and looked to Luna. "Do you remember when we were younger? And you were afraid of the sun?"

Luna giggled softly and smiled. "You rested in bed with me; wrapped me in your arms and kept me safe."

Celestia looked down at herself, how small she was, how weak. She looked to Luna, who gave a nod and smile, and climbed into the very large bed. Soon, she tugged her "little" sister close and hugged her gently through the night.


End file.
